The Stone Bench
by Black Sunflower
Summary: Sakura never expected for Sasuke to return to Konoha, even if it was a way for him to find Itachi.  But Sasuke didn't expect that Sakura would be the one that forcefully kept him there. CHAPPY TWO UP! SasuSaku... later on
1. Waiting

**Lynn:::**

**ZOMG.**

**You don't believe it, do you.**

**Yeah, I finally put something up on fanfiction.**

**O.o And it's pretty weird so far... Not my best work, that's all I can say.**

**If you do take the time to read it, please let me know if they're OOC or not... **

**Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor do I own any of the characters or locations created by Masashi Kishimoto.**

**The Stone Bench**

**Chapter One: Waiting**

She did this every single day: visiting the bench.

What bench, you ask? The bench where she confessed her undying love for him. The bench where he left her after rendering her unconscious, five years ago. The bench where she laid there, crying in her sleep as he left. The bench that marked the place where she last saw him. The bench where she sat now.

Sakura didn't see why she put herself through this pain. She did this every night: come here and sit for at least an hour. But every year, on this specific day, the rosette would come and sit here, the entire night. Reliving those ghosts of memories, every single one of them, with him in it. She knew he wouldn't ever come back, not willingly, until he got what he had always yearned for: the death of his brother.

The eighteen year old girl's fists clenched tightly, causing her nails to dig through the black, fingerless gloves she wore. The pain was to distract her from the tingling and watering in her large jade eyes, but it was still unsuccessful. Clear droplets dripped down from the eyes at their own will, pattering softly onto the uneven pavement of the black pathway. It reminded her of his eyes; they shared a common color.

She knows she shouldn't be staying any longer. She has a solo mission: Keep watch near the exit of Konoha. There was some kind of a message delivered to Tsunade about an Itachi sighting near the Leaf Village. Chances were, Itachi and his partner could be near, and if it were like that, Naruto was in danger. But since she was going past the bench anyway, Sakura had decided to just stop there for a few minutes. Taking slow deep breathes, the kunoichi began calming herself. The rosette never got to, since she was interrupted midway.

"Sakura-chan." It's Naruto, she knew it was, it has to be; no one else would call Sakura that nickname. But when she lifted her tear filled eyes to the person standing before her, it's not Naruto.

"Sasuke-kun?" The rosette's lip trembled as she whispered the name. He's leaning against that same tree, the same way he did when she had become his teammate. Said Uchiha immediately noticed the glance, and began walking towards her. The kunoichi instantaneously dipped her head back down, and immediately bring my hand up in a desperate attempt to wipe away my tears. Sakura suddenly felt a newfound determination to prove that she wasn't the same weak little girl he had last seen.

Confident sea-foam green eyes look up into the Uchiha's crimson eyes. Pitch black spun within the red. "Sakura-chan. Have you heard anything from Itachi?" His cold monotone asked.

As soon as those words were uttered, her stomach felt a sinking sensation. She figured it out in no time: he was trying to trick her into helping him, even sinking down to use "Sakura-chan". Tears once more threatened to well up, but as a seasoned kunoichi, Sakura's insistence helped her fight them back, leaving no trace of pain on her face.

"Why do you ask me? Why not Naruto?" The girl asked coolly, carelessly annoyed. Narrowed eyes glared angrily at him, forcing her pent up anger and hurt forced into the glare.

He showed no outward emotion, but it's obvious to her that he's upset. His chakra was boiling, threatening to explode out, through a jutsu. "Naruto… I don't want to see him."

At first, there's a small explosion of hope in her stomach. _**Shannaro!! He wanted to see you and only you!**_ But the hope and happiness faded as quickly as it came. She knocked some sense into herself and remembered his hopes of seducing her into getting out an answer. But… I could use that to my advantage, she realized.

"So, Sasuke-kun, you came to see me?" A slight blush began spilling over the girl's face, and she borrowed Hinata's finger movement. "Well, in that case…"

She could already see the smirk beginning on his lips. _Damn the overconfident arrogant bastard_. _I'd beat him to that, though,_ she thought determinedly. Oh, she knew she'd be able to do something helpful this time. This wasn't going to be a repeat of that fateful day. Becauses this time it was the other way around: his guard was down, and she was in control. She wasn't begging, he was in his discreet little fashion. And that gave her confidence.

A smirk plastered over Sakura's face. Sasuke was slightly startled at the change in mood, but tried to prepare himself for the attack he knew was coming. He had noticed this much too late. The rosette moved in the blink of an eye, hurtling past him before he had time to realize that she wasn't on the bench anymore. "Sasuke-kun, we'll have to spend some quality time together than, eh?" She whispered in his ear, reappearing in the formerly empty ground behind him. He began moving, but her gloved hand had already moved swiftly, catching his neck in place with a kunai. One couldn't go nearly five years without learning something new.

He turned his head, in an attempt to face his former teammate, so as to catch her in his Sharingan. The wheels of his Sharingan were spinning madly, partially out of anger… and maybe something else? It went ignored by the the concentrating kunoichi. With her free hand, she hurriedly moved her hand over his stomach. Fingers latched onto his abdominal muscles, Sakura fed a burst of chakra to her hand. Then a sudden release of the chakra knocked him out cold. It was strong enough to keep him in an unconscious state for months if not treated, but not enough to kill.

Sakura picked up Sasuke's unmoving form, and began heading back to Konohagakure. Somehow, she found herself wearing a slight half smile.

Hmm. This year's waiting paid off.

**Lynn: So... what do you think?? v.v I shouldn't be up, writing at 4 am... v.v**

**But I am :)**

**So... I don't mean to say this but... If you liked it... plz let me know you're reading it by reviewing...**

**Thanks!!**

**-Lynn**

**--Black Sunflower**


	2. Waking

**Lynn:: Yeyyyyy, I got chapter two done . -dances-**

**Thanks for your willingness to read this!!**

**I wanna thank some people for their help in this chapter.**

**Thanks, Lithium, for encouraging me .**

**Thanks Tiff, for editing.**

**Thanks Laramie ((pig) InoFreak (pig)) for the method Naruto used to break the awkward silence.**

**And thanks to anyone who read!!!**

**If possible, could you please leave a review critisizing my writing and suggestions?**

**Some praise wouldn't hurt either XD**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor do I own any of the characters from the series.**

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**The Stone Bench**

**Chapter Two: Waking**

Sasuke's obsidian eyes cracked open. From narrowed slits, he could see the foot of his bed and the blank, white wall past it. Blinking groggily, he focused his eyes, and tried to roll onto his left side. This turned out to be a rather poor decision when he felt a sharp jolt travel down the side of his neck, and pound ferociously on his stomach. Feeling the agonizing pain on his lower abdominal area, he let out a soft moan.

"Sasuke-kun?" Great. Sasuke had forgotten to check if anyone else had been in the same room with him, and now he laid in a terribly weak state with another person, unable to fight, should the need arise. Somehow, neither the voice nor the name had caused him to register who was speaking with him.

The Uchiha carefully tilted his head to get a look at the other members in the room. Through slightly blurred vision, he could make out a mass of pink with a fierce green, blonde with amber, and blonde with cerulean. His mind vaguely recalled Sakura, Tsunade, and Naruto. Sakura… Something had happened having to do with Sakura, right?

Suddenly everything snapped into place, and iy hit him. He had been taken back to Konoha after five year as a missing-nin, and now he was in the hospital. Sasuke's narrowed eyes suddenly glared a crimson red at the other three shinobi in the room.

"Sasuke-teme!!! You're awake, 'ttebayo!" Naruto exclaimed happily, unaware of the Sharingan in the midst of his happiness. Sakura was also blind to the thin red slits as she was grinning with Naruto. Tsunade, however, wasn't quite as excited as the other two, so she immediately noticed the spinning pinwheels through the partially opened eyes.

"Uchiha Sasuke." The Godaime said quietly, stilling Naruto and Sakura with the grave quality in her voice. The two teenagers soon noticed the raven haired boy's eyes. "You abandoned the village, joined Orochimaru, eventually killed him, and still are trying to kill your brother, Uchiha Itachi. You realize that there will be a punishment for leaving the village, despite the fact that you obliterated Orochimaru for us."

The seriousness of the situation was killed by Naruto, as usual. "Demo, Tsunade-baa-chan…" Naruto began. He was interrupted by Sakura as she slapped a hand over his open mouth. Sasuke noticed the slight distraction between the two jounin, so he tried to move and get the hell out.

However, he had apparently forgotten about the Hokage. As soon as he began moving, she hit him with an angry fist. "Did you understand me the first time, Uchiha? Or do I have to repeat it?" She spat, frustrated.

And then the impact of her words really hit him. She meant everything she had said. He was going to be killed. However, he was Uchiha Sasuke. And he wasn't about to go down without a fight.

"Yes I understood you. However, as a former member of Konohagakure and one of the last remaining members of the Uchiha clan, I should be at least be given a trial." He answered coolly, neither face nor eyes betraying his annoyance.

Tsunade wasn't so keen on hiding her emotions. Eyebrow twitching, she glared and said, "Well, perhaps you should. But we have no where to keep you. The hospital's nearly full, and the prison _is_ full. We'll just have to lock you up somewhere, until you have your trial. Then, you die."

The missing-nin clenched his teeth. Tsunade was starting to piss him off. As he opened his mouth to begin speaking, Naruto said something else. "Tsunade-baa-chan…"

"What." She said flatly, uncaring.

"Maybe… Maybe he should be given another chance…" he tentatively began.

"WHAT??" The female blonde screeched, interrupting her subordinate.

"Oi, I wasn't done!" Naruto exclaimed defensively as Sakura shrunk down in her chair, as if to hide from her angered shishou. "I was gonna say, he's still determined to kill Itachi, right? So maybe he could be helpful in our destroying of Itachi, 'ttebayo!"

Tsunade blinked and sat back down, pondering. "Yes… Perhaps… But where would we keep him?"

"…I'm right here, you know." Sasuke said. "You could just ask me."

The female Sannin glared at him. "It's of no concern to you, be glad that we're even considering letting you live."

Sasuke shrugged nonchalantly, and flippantly sat there, a bored expression resting on his face.

A vein throbbed on Tsunade's forehead. "Naruto, do you have any ideas on where for Sasuke to stay?"

"Not really… He could stay with someone though…" Naruto suggested. He crossed his arms and leaned back into his seat. "Uh huh. That should work. Sakura-chan's attack obstructed his chakra flow, and she's the only one that can fix it."

The Uchiha felt a cold chill go down his back and his stomach turn over. Chakra… Obstructed?? With what? How could that happen?? Despite this shocking surprise, no one noticed the horrified expression pass over Sasuke's face. Without his ability to use chakra, he was utterly helpless up against Itachi. Even as he thought that, he felt the crimson of his kekkei genkai seep out of his eyes. He immediately tuned back in to the conversation going on, in hopes of finding how to return to his regular chakra flow.

"So… if his chakra is obstructed, his weapons taken… He should be nothing against a sleeping jounin, yes?" Tsunade began slowly.

"Hai." Naruto and Sakura chorused and nodded in agreement.

"So… if we have him stay with Naruto… Things should be alright." The Hokage finished, and nodded in approval of her own decision. "Now I'll just have to see what the council thinks…"

She glanced back towards Naruto and Sakura for their feedback. The two were exchanging dumbstruck expressions. She cleared her throat loudly, shaking the two to give her their full attention.

"I ask of you two to keep watch over Sasuke as I go and call a meeting with the council."

The two loyal Konoha-nin both gave a quick "Hai!" and Tsunade gave them a curt look, spun on her heel, and left the former members of Team 7 behind.

Silence immediately enveloped the three former teammates. The three shinobi sat together in an uncomfortable silence, unknowing what to say or not caring about what to say. A minute ticked by… Then another… Then five, then ten… The awkwardness was driving Naruto insane, and he could see Sakura sweating bullets out of nervousness and constantly tugging on her hair. Her habit of pulling her shoulder length spiky pink hair was only shown in awkward situations, much like this one. The other member was just sitting there, slightly slouched over in his large white hospital gown, wearing a terribly bored expression on his face.

The hyper blonde, as usual, was the first to break the awkward silence. "Gay babies." He announced, as though that would solve all of their problems.

Sakura, who had felt the tension build and build to the point where she couldn't bear it any longer, started laughing hysterically. Sasuke on the other hand gave Naruto a puzzled look and asked him, "What are you talking about?"

Something about the way Sasuke asked the question gave Naruto the impression that the raven haired guy was stating the question, not asking it. And so Naruto replied in a very grave voice, "Gay babies are born every time there's an awkward silence."

The Uchiha stared at his best friend for a few moments, and then shook his head in disbelief. At times like these, it was difficult to believe the blonde was really eighteen. On second thought, it was kind of terrifying, seeing this hyper "child" as an adult.

Meanwhile, Sakura had calmed down after her wild laughing fit. She softly called the names of her male teammates, "Sasuke-kun? Naruto?"

The two boys both turned their attention to the sound of her voice when they heard their names called. Seeing that they were listening, Sakura continued, "If Sasuke-kun stays with you, Naruto, where will he sleep?"

Naruto scratched his head and answered in a puzzled way, "I'm not quite sure… I didn't really think about that, but I guess he could sleep in the kitchen or on my couch…"

"In your _kitchen?_" Sasuke couldn't help marvel at the fact that Naruto could believe that someone would want to rest in his Ramen bowl infested kitchen.

"My kitchen?" Someone asked in a very puzzled tone. The threesome immediately prepared the attack, though Sasuke knew very well that he was in no state to fight. The blonde and rosette's tensed muscles relaxed suddenly as they recognized the face of the intruder.

Or rather, the book that covered his face.

"KAKA-SENSEI!" The hyperactive shinobi shouted, launching himself at his former sensei.

Kakashi quickly sidestepped, leaving a flying Naruto crashing into the wall. Without once lifting his eyes from his beloved book, the Konoha-jounin said, "I came here to deliver a message on behalf of the council and Tsunade-sama, not to be tackled by you, Naruto."

At the same time as Naruto muttered a "Kaka-sensei, have some fun…" Sakura asked, "What did they decide, Kaka-sensei?"

"Well, Sasuke is going to stay, but not with Naruto." Kakashi began. Naruto's eyes widened, then narrowed into annoyed slits. Noticing Naruto's expression over the top of his book, he said, "They don't trust you with the Kyuubi inside of you. Tsuande trusts you 120, but the council believes that Kyuubi could take over and somehow make you side with Sasuke, and no one in the village is going to agree with giving that theory a chance."

"Then who's Sasuke-teme staying with?" Naruto questioned, crossing his arms while leaning against the wall.

"The council says that Sasuke basically has two options: the first being to stay with me and the other is staying with Sakura. I'd prefer if he'd stay with Sakura." The grey haired man said as he lustfully turned the page of his book.

"I wonder why…" Naruto muttered sarcastically. "Sakura-chan! Are you gonna have teme stay with you, or not?"

Sakura's expression was unreadable, but one could definitely see that she was thinking it over. "Sure."

"Don't I get any say in this?" Sasuke asked, annoyed that someone else was deciding where he was going to stay.

"Unless you want to stay in a hole, which would make it much cheaper for all of us. The three of us, Naruto, Sakura, and I, will be paying for your expenses since Naruto suggested the idea, Sakura brought you back, and I agreed to pay my share." Kakashi answered absentmindedly.

Sakura shot Naruto a shocked look, and the blonde asked, "Why are you paying?"

"Free books." No one bothered to ask what he meant by "books."

And so Sasuke was stuck with staying at Sakura's.

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**Lynn:: Say it now. It sucked. I wrote this kinda late... I guess... But I think it might have been a little rushed...**

**O.O Help me, and give me a few tips... PLEASE??**

**Thanks for getting this far, lol .**


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